Incineration apparatus



March 1966 E. J. KLOVERS ETAL 3,242,888

INCINERATION APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1965 United States PatentO 3,242 INCINERATION APPARATUS Ervin J. Klovers, Milwaukee, and Heinz W. Winter, Wau- Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,324 3 Claims. (Cl. 110-14) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for combusting refuse such as is collected by municipalities from residential and commercial establishments that includesmaterial easily burned and material difficult to burn such as catalogs, books, etc.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved manner and means for burning all such refuse material and in particular to carry on such an operation on a continuous basis with burning refuse providing temperatures for the continuous ignition of additional of such material.

It is a further object of the present invention to control the-ignition of such material at a predetermined location in a path through apparatus in order that the material can be efliciently and completely burned.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a relative movement between the apparatus, the refuse material and oxidizing gases to achieve maximum com-- bustion of the material and at the same time protect the apparatus from overheating, warping and undue wear.

Other objects and how they have been obtained will appear as the'description of the invention proceeds.

In a preferred method of practicing the present invention, the material is tumbled to continuously expose unburned portions to kindling temperatures. After at least a portion of the material is ignited oxidizing gases are blown'through and over the tumbling material to excite the combustion that has begun and cause combustion to spread through the tumbling material. This is followed by interrupting the flow of gases through the material and continuing only the blowing of gases over the tumbling material while heat radiated from the material is reflected back upon the tumbling material to;

maintain combustion. Then for a second time, a strong blast of oxidizing gases is blown through the tumbling material to re-excite combustion, particularly of such hard to burn items as books. The gas flow through the tumbling material is again interrupted and again only the blowing of gases over the material is continued while reflecting radiated heat from the material back upon the tumbling material to complete combustion.

A preferred apparatus according to this invention, and upon which this method can be performed, will be described with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a rotary kiln in vertical cross section; and

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction indicated by arrows.

Referring to FIG. 1, a kiln 1 is shown mounted for rotation upon roller support assemblies 2, 3. A motor 4 turns a gear 5 which engages with a gear 6 for driving kiln 1 to rotate about its central axis. A delivery chute 7 is provided on the elevated end of the kiln 1 and a discharge chute 8 is provided on the opposite and lower end of the kiln. A power operated force feeder (not shown) may be used to ram material from chute 7 into kiln 1.

Kiln 1 is itself an assembly of five sections A-E. Sections A, C and E, which are the first, third and fifth sections from the feed end, each has an impervious cylindrical wall 10 lined with heat reflectors 11, which may be refractory brick or tile.

Sections B and D may best be described with additional reference to FIG. 2. These sections have a plurality 15 from such locations. bottom of each windox for removing any refuse material or ashes that fall through openings 18 in ring of louvers 14 arranged in a ring 15' between a pair of annular rings 16, 17. Defined between each of the louvers 14 is a radial opening 18 extending for substantially the full axial length of the section. Surrounding the ring 15 is a windbox 20.

Windbox 20 comprises outer wall structure 21, which defines an inlet passage 22.for admitting air, internal wall structure 23, and a plurality of dampers 2431. Wall structures 21, 23 along with dampers 24, 27 and 26 define an area 35. Wall structures 21, 23 along with dampers 24, and 28 define an area 36. And wall structure 21 and the sides of dampers 25 and 26 opposite areas and 36 define an area 37. 'Manipulation of these dampers will vary the openings and therefore the flow of air through each of these areas and into ring A screw 40 is provided in the In the operation of the described'apparatus, refuse is fed to kiln 1 through delivery chute'7. During initial start up suchv material may be ignited by operators applying a torch to get at least some material ignited within section A. The downward slope of kiln 1 plus the action of motor 4 turning gears 5, 6 to rotate kiln 1 'on roller. assemblies 2, 3 will cause such ignited material to'tumble within section A and into section B. In section B a strong blast of air is blownthrough and over the tumbling material to vigorously excite combustion. Referring to FIG/2, air is admitted at 22 from a blower (not shown) and its volume flow is divided by manipulation of dampers 24-31. The dampers may be manipua lated to divide the air. flow to blowabout 40 percent through'area '35 to pass through the tumbling material in ring 15; about 50 percent through the area 36 between the dampers 25 and 27; and the remaining air (about 10 percent of the total) through area 37.

The air. flow into ring 15 serves two purposes in addition to purposes relating to the combustion process. These are, first, to cool the louvers 14 (as louvers'pass area '36, primarily) and secondly, to keep a maximum amount of dust, ashesv and refuse'within ring 15 while also cooling louvers (as louvers pass area 37). Louvers 14 passing area 35 are cooled by a perhaps relatively high air flow therethrough and the louvers passing this area are also protected and insulated from the very high temperatures in ring 15 by the refuse material cover. However, when louvers 14 pass area 36 they are no longer covered and are not only hot because of just having supported burning material, but they are also then exposed to heat rising from the burning refuse. The substantial air flow into ring 15 from area 36 will act to cool louvers 14 and to blow rising heat away from louvers passing that area. By the time louvers 14 reach damper 25 the increasing distance from the burning material plus the flow through openings 18 from area 36 will result in the louvers being cooled sufiiciently so that a very much smaller air flow from area 37 will perhaps be enough to maintain temperatures at acceptably low levels.

It is an important feature of the windbox design that the dampers provide a great deal of flexibility for adjusting the division of air flow to the areas around ring 15 to provide desired and needed air flow conditions.

After initial start up, ignition in section A will be continuous as material from chute 7 is exposed to ignition temperatures in section A that result from the vigorous exciting of combustion in the adjacent section B.

As the material tumbles from louvered section B into section C (with its impervious walls), air flow through the burning material is interrupted and only the flow of gases over the material continues. While the material passes through section C, reflectors 11 will reflect back upon the refuse material heat emanated therefrom, to maintain combustion that will reduce to ashes most of the refuse materials except perhaps those previously mentioned hard to burn items such as books.

Then, as the tumbling material passes from section C to section D, a second blast of air is blown through and over the material to re-excite combustion. This is again followed by interrupting air flow through the material as it tumbles into the impervious wall section E. In section B air and combustion gases pass over the tumbling material while reflectors- 11 reflect back upon the material heat that has emanated from the material, to complete the combustion. The resulting ash material spills from section E to discharge chute 8 and may be disposed of as desired. Gases discharged from the kiln may be directed to pass through suitable dust removal equipment (not shown) before discharge to the atmosphere.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the present invention has achieved the objects hereinbefore set forth, and does so in a manner having unique advantages. A commercial plant may however be built to incorporate additional inventions without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

plant desirably also incorporates a modular construction and-assembly by which one or more sections may be removed and replaced with one or the other of the two types of sections disclosed herein. That the present disclosure may to some readers suggest such a construction and assembly is acknowledged by the present inventors to resultfrom their being familiar with the invention of Rudolph J. Ramstack, US. application Serial No. 278,- 174, filed May 6, 1963, now Patent No. 3,152,796 before composing the present description. It is not intended therefore to represent any suchsuggestion as part of the present invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A rotary kiln apparatus for incinerating refuse material and the like comprising a tubular structure defining a feed end and a discharge end with a plurality of connected zones through which the material is passed; said plurality of zones including a first of said zones adjacent said feed end having an impervious inner surface, a second zone from said feed end adjacent said first zone, said second zone having a wall provided with a plurality 4 I of openings therein for the introduction of oxidizing gas in said second zone to excite combustion of material therein, said openings in said second zone being formed between a plurality of louvers, and a third zone from said feed end adjacent said second zone, said third zone having an axial length at least as long as said second zone and an impervious inner surface of a diameter equal to the internal diameter of said second zone, means for rotating said tubular structure about an axis centrally therethrough, and each of said louvers comprising a first fiat portion projecting tangentially outward from the inner circumference of said second zone and diverging from said first portions of adjacent louvers to define an inwardly directed tapered nozzle passage between adjacent first portions, and a second flat portion projecting radially outward from the outer edge of each of the louver first portions and defining an inlet passage to each said nozzle passage with radially outer edges of said second portions defining an inlet opening to each said inlet passage having a circumferential distance equal to the circumferential spacing between the radial outer edges By Way of example, it is anticipated that a commercial of adjacent said second portions.

2. A rotary kiln apparatus according to claim 1 in which said impervious inner surface in said third zone is formed by a refractory lining mounted on the inner surface of said tubular structure for reflecting heat radiated from burning material back upon the material to maintain continuing combustion in said third zone.

3. A rotary kiln apparatus according to claim 1 in which said tangentially disposed surfaces of said louvers are fiat and extend axially a distance substantially equal to the axial length of said second zone.

References Cited by the Examiner FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

D. A. TAMBURRO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY KILN APPARATUS FOR INCINERATING REFUSE MATERIAL AND THE LIKE COMPRISING A TUBULAR STRUCTURE DEFINING A FEED END AND A DISCHARGE END WITH A PLURALITY OF CONNECTED ZONES THROUGH WHICH THE MATERIAL IS PASSED; SAID PLURALITY OF ZONES INCLUDING A FIRST OF SAID ZONES ADJACENT SAID FEED END HAVING AN IMPREVIOUS INNER SURFACE, A SECOND ZONE FROM SAID FEED END ADJACENT SAID FIRST ZONE, SAID SECOND ZONE HAVING A WALL PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THEREIN FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF OXIDIZING GAS IN SAID SECOND ZONE TO EXCITE COMBUSTION OF MATERIAL THEREIN, SAID OPENINGS IN SAID SECOND ZONE BEING FORMED BETWEEN A PLURALITY OF LOUVERS, AND A THIRD ZONE FROM SAID FEED END ADJACENT SAID SECOND ZONE, SAID THIRD ZONE HAVING AN AXIAL LENGTH AT LEAST AS LONG AS SAID SECOND ZONES AND AN IMPERVIOUS INNER SURFACE OF A DIAMETER EQUAL TO THE INTERNAL DIAMETER OF SAID SECOND ZONE, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE ABOUT AN AXIS CENTRALLY THERETHROUGH, AND EACH OF SAID LOUVERS COMPRISING A FIRST FLAT PORTION PROJECTING TANGENTIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE INNER CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID SECOND ZONE AND DIVERGING FROM SAID FIRST PORTIONS OF ADJACENT LOUVERS TO DEFINE AN INWARDLY DIRECTED TAPERED NOZZLE PASSAGE BETWEEN ADJACENT FIRST PORTIONS, AND A SECOND FLAT PORTION PROJECTING RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE OUTER EDGE OF EACH OF THE LOUVER FIRST PORTIONS AND DEFINING AN INLET PASAGE TO EACH SAID NOZZLE PASSAGE WITH RADIALLY OUTER EDGES OF SAID SECOND PORTIONS DEFINING AN INLET OPENING TO EACH SAID INLET PASSAGE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL DISTANCE EQUAL TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL SPACING BETWEEN THE RADIAL OUTER EDGES OF ADJACENT SAID SECOND PORTIONS. 